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Confirmed Arsenal Line-up to take on Southampton this afternoon

The teams are out for today’s Premier League clash at the St Mary’s Stadium, where Arsenal will take on Southampton.

The Gunners are on a run of eight straight wins in all competitions at present, winning 13 of our 14 since the new season begun, and rightly top the table after our fine run of results.

Today we will be hoping to rebuild our four-point lead over Manchester City by claiming all three points on offer, but Southampton may have other ideas.

We understood that Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe and Mo Elneny were unavailable to start this afternoon, and while Saka was rated as a doubt, he would be ready, leading us to predict the below starting line-up.

Earlier predicted team:

Ramsdale
White Saliba Gabriel Tomiyasu
Partey Xhaka
Saka Odegaard Martinelli
Jesus

And now we can finally see today’s actual line-up to take on the Saints in the next hour, and as you can see we do in fact remain unchanged from last weekend.

It is becoming a little easy to predict our manager’s selection, but as the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. When Emile Smith Rowe and Oleksandr Zinchenko finally return to full fitness it will be interesting to see if the pair can break back into the team, but at present, it is likely to be difficult for the midfielder.

Patrick

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Tags Southampton southampton v arsenal

120 Comments

  1. Looking forward to see Tomiyasu’s improvement in the LB position. I think he will be assigned to nullify Joe Aribo’s aerial threat on our left wing

  2. Luckily no injuries and our strongest side out there. No guarantees but we have a good chance. We must hit them hard….early

  3. C’mon Arsenal another 3 points, please! Think Tomiyasu is long overdue a goal for us and have a feeling today might be the day.

  5. I don’t think Arteta rates Kieran Tierney to fair as he is trying in all positions to fit in “his” players.

    I guess the problem is £50mil Ben White who Arteta has been forced to play as he cannot bench Saliba as White has been doing well himself.

    Zinchenko’s injury should be an opportunity for KT to gain more game time in his position but I guess playing 4 central defenders in the back has become the Arteta way and is getting us the results and a few clean sheets here and there.

    2. Have been surprised at Tierney’s struggles to get into to the team, particularly with Zinchenko out. That said White isn’t playing because he cost 50 million. He is playing because he has played the role well just look at our results in that time. It just shows our strength in depth.

      Tierney has played regularly for Arteta previously and signed a contract extension under Arteta so there can be no doubt that Tierney is one of Arteta’s players.

    3. Ben White is not been played because of his price, he has actually been good, why bench him when he is doing his job perfectly?

  10. Good to see Arteta’s favoured strongest Arsenal starting XI start our Saints Epl match today’s afternoon at St Mary’s Stadium.
    And also our bench for the match without ESR, Elneny and Zinchenko is also looking to be a very strong bench for the match
    the chances for the trio sidelined with injuries to break back into starting XI team especially Zinchenko and ESR could happen sooner than it is thought iya will when the 2 top quality pair return to full match Fitness and ready to start in the Epl once again. As something will give later in our today’s Saints starting XI that will allow any of the trio to reclaim their starting role in the team.
    In our match today against the Saints, I predict a final score-kinetic of 0-3 away win for Arsenal in the match. .

  11. Watching this performance and listening to the fans singing their hearts out you can’t help but feel proud. Been a long long time since we could feel like this. It’s bloody fantastic!

      1. Then Lyanco hits Jesus twice deliberately and nothing, that was worse than Gabriel against Leeds and that ended with a yellow with many questioning if it should have stayed red.

    3. Getting bloody disgusting now, he isn’t even trying to hide the bias, No pens, fake dive, no red card, fake corner. Everything for Southampton.

    1. It was borderline but wasn’t even looked at. It wasn’t that different to McTominay yesterday and McTominay was actually pushed originally twice so mitigating circumstances for him.

  17. Referee controversy aside it’s 1-0 to the Arsenal! Let’s close out the game and I feel we have more goals in us yet!

      1. This ref is itching to give a soft pen to Southampton. Good thing we’ve been keeping them outside of our box. Got to get that 2nd goal now tho.

      2. I wasn’t 100% sure so I didn’t want to comment and they refused to show a replay but that was my feeling too.

    1. No one is talking about this…….. Unfortunately I can’t count how many times he has got one on one in this 5 games. I like his work rate but he really need to work on his finishing

  20. Angus thats doesnt matter we could be 5-0 up ref should be fair ,we wouldve been singing different tune if we were 1 down

  21. Saka didn’t deserve the yellow card, but now he has to be careful and aware of Soton’s provocation. We should’ve scored at least two goals, but we were unlucky

  22. We need to kill right at the start of the 2nd half because the ref will probably take and drop it in our goal and call it a goal for soton with the way this is currently going.

  23. If we dont score the second wuick this ref will give a pen to soton if gabriel looks wrong way at a soton player in the penalty area

  24. This ref has unique record…
    Whenever he has officiated Southampton match resulted in victory for Southampton…

    1. He officiated arsenal vs aston villa, remember the villa goal. He has already screwed us this season.

  25. City creates their own luck in the sense that they create so much and limit their opposition so much they win regardless of luck/obviously poor decisions. Feel like today is one of those days for us, we’ll keep playing as we have and we will win!

  26. Arsenal should close this match in the 1st half of it. Or in the 2nd with a 2nd goal scored by any of Gunners on the pitch to stop hanging on dangerously on a goal lead in the game.. Our front four of G Jesus, B, Saka, M Odegaard and Martinelli are looking to be struggling for goals scored by any of them in the game. G Jesus is looking to be profigating in front of goal for Arsenal shooting and missing hitting the back of the net for Arsenal. Why? Has he lost his goals scoring potency for Arsenal? I think he better find it and gets it back quick to start scoring for Arsenal in this match. However, I wouldn’t mind if he provides assists for Arsenal in the match if he can’t score.

    1. Been going for a while now, apparently PGMOL have released a new directive you are allowed to use your hands to stop jesus.

  31. The referee is a joke today but we are once again appauling after going ahead. If this is going to be Artetas strategy it is very dangerous.

  33. 2nd for us is coming despite the ref’s efforts to disrupt us. This is a different Arsenal team they won’t let that get them down, sure of that.

  38. Well done by the ref who completely manipulated the flow of the game to allow a Southampton goal.

    I wish ill on such cheats

      1. Players were tired second half so little to no impact from starters and the impact from subs was horrible aside from Tierney. I think we have a great starting line up, but no DEPTH. if we are going to challenge we need to add QUALITY to our bench. Players that are going to challenge our starters every game to start. Right now, the backup quality is only found in our RB/LB. We need to add in January. I wonder the impact Smith-Rowe would be bringing if he was fit to be in the starting lineup or bench.

        1. Agree. Arteta even said in summer we neee 1-2 more… then we signed nobody. It’s gonna be a bit of a limp to the World Cup finish line. If we can get past psv and forest, we can rest anyone important and throw away the Zurich game.

  39. Now is the time for the team to show up. Still believe this team doesn’t give up regardless of the situation or decisions.

  41. Tierney should been on in 60th min. Not Toni’s day today, and has given little distribution to martinelli

      1. This draw has shown us that we can’t win the league with having just Saka and Martinelli as our wingers, we need a strong right footed winger and a striker in January; Neketiah isn’t it for me tbh.

        We could go for the second top winger at the end of the season, I’m glad the match with Man city was postponed; our players are playing as if they’re exhausted!

    2. @Meedo
      RealTalk…Folks out here blaming the ref, when the lads don’t have it in them to give. IJS

  46. Arsenal are looking weary and have not had consistent refereeing which has allowed heavy handed tactics at times by Soton to go sufficiently unpunished
    However, if you want to win the league you have to rise above it

    1. shouldn’t happen full stop. I belive in this team enough that we can still win the game but it shouldn’t happen. It’s disgraceful.

      1. It wasn’t reckless or anger. He was distracting Jesus because he knew he wouldn’t be pulled up on it.

    1. That is the worry
      Another game on Thursday to be fit for so I hope we qualify as top team and get a break from the EL to give them all a breather
      It’s Arteta’s call on how he manages both the league and the EL. It’s possible to argue that too many ‘first’ teamers were drafted in to finish off as top seeds in the group

      1. It was a very aggressive first team against psv.’still just one goal. Jesus needs to start chipping in more with goals. It is the one worry I had about him. He does everything else wonderfully. At least we are back home next week. Arteta will be very upset we don’t kill games off quicker. Again, i noticed our tempo dropped the second we scored, and we never hit the level of the first 20 mins again

      2. @SueP
        I said it before. The lack of either match fitness or quality in our second squad could be our downfall. The starting 11 can’t do it all by themselves.

  54. Team looked tired, getting outplayed by Southampton and out hussled.

    Subs should have come earlier, why leave Saka on? He’s been a dull blade and invisible the last 20 minutes.

    Southampton smothered Partey and Xhaka in midfield buildup and attackers were dull again.

    Xhaka has been the threat last 2 games, the attacking front has been poor.

    1. I agree, substitutions are made too late. what’s the point of adding depth if we don’t use it properly?

    2. Subs did awful. Saka should’ve been off instead of martinelli. Tierney should be starting over Tomi. RF lb took martinelli out this game.

  56. With that Saints equalizer cancelling out our slender 1 goal lead in the game. But let’s see what response will Arsenal now give in the game to retake the lead in it. And hold on to it to full-time. The Gunners should please for the sake of regaining their 4 points lead on Man City in the table do something positive in the match to score the winning goal or goals in the match to excuses seeing us having a heart break,

  57. Players should be proud that the only games we didn’t win this season was because we were robbed by the ref.

  59. Happy with the point because we weren’t good enough today. Another game that has to be won when you’re on top in the first half. 2nd half, every 2nd ball going Southampton’s way. Will just need to find form again and keep going. Hope some tiredness isn’t creeping in but seems that’s the case

    1. Also, ref was awful. He very much let the flow of the game go Southampton’s direction as much as he could.

  60. Disgusting referring and one point anyway. Blew the moment of injury time despite delaying a freekick after he’d declared the 5 min to his assistant. Disguting.

    1. Bias against us was very blatant today.’still, a game we should win without letting ref determine things like this. Our attackers weren’t good enogh today and subs let Arteta down (Bessie’s tierney)

  61. I’m not impressed by Nketiah performance in this match. He is trying to impress. Just be yourself Nketiah.

  62. Leeds deserved a point last week but couldn’t make it happen. We deserved 3 points this week and the ref made it happen. Southampton never played well.

      1. @ Angus, officiating in the premier league is like that. Poor officiating. Incompetence is the word to describe it.

        However, we had the moments to score more goals in the first half. Our attackers need to be more composed.

        The substitutes did not perform well also.
        Maybe Arteta should start Viera in the next game. He needs that consistency. Sloppy passes. Giving the ball away.
        Nketiah also needs to work on his movement and decision making.

      2. I have to admit it,today the ref was really poor.there is a difference between allowing the game to flow and allowing obvious fouls.

  63. I think the Saints centre half who kept hugging Jesus got away with it today. Different ref in his next game I bet he gives away a penalty..

    1. He did it the entire match. Is there a new rule where defenders have have their arms across necks and chest? A no-call on that is also what put the momentum in their favor for their goal. So sick of the bad officiating in this league. It’s truly abysmal and an embarrassment.

  65. We’ve been saying it for a while now,team/players management is going to be crucial to our season.i still don’t get it, bringing Vieira on the 83rd minute??does MA really think he can make a difference in 10 minutes.despite adding depth squad,I have the feeling that MA still doesn’t really trust players outside his first XI.

    1. For good reason, vieira did nothing but lose the ball, nketiah was awful on LW. Need a couple signings in Jan. Squad is thin and it’s starting to show. Partey with his odd games of terrible passing and being caught on the ball today as well. Gabriel MOTM for me, White runner up , nobody else really seemed like their normal selves today.

      1. That money we spent on Vieira plus what we were willing to spend on Luiz could have got us a very good midfielder.

    2. Very worrying given the fact that Viera is his signing and Eddie’s new contract was his decision.

  66. Our amazing midfield disappeared again in the second half. When the going gets tough the Xhaka goes missing. Also time to reconsider the four centre half tactic. Such an overeliance on Martinellii and Saka = inevitable burn out and total predictability. Nketian under the spot light = Championship level fodder. The only positive today was the one point.

  67. Jesus has been really poor with his finishing in last 3 games, he gets so many opportunities but fails to score. Also why jeep playing first 11 with little rotation in Europe when league should be priority. Team looks tired already, can not wait for world Cup to come, we are running out of steam.

    1. I think MA is hedging his bets as winning the Europa means a place in the Champions League, although I’d have said getting 4th in the league is an easier route surely.

      1. Looking at the teams likely to drop down to europa, should be putting more eggs into the top 4 basket. Atleti in this competiton are just gonna park the bus to another trophy most likely

      2. Maybe he wanted to qualify quickly for the next round of the Europa league. PSV is not an easy opposition.
        Any update on ESR injury? I really miss him.
        Viera needs to gain more muscle. He looks lightweight.

  68. Fatigue has set in. Quite unfortunate but it has been evident over the last few games, only difference was we were lucky and/or the opponents weren’t clinical enough. Our intensity, which has been the hallmark of our game, has really gone down.
    Vieira won’t cut it in the premier league, or it might take longer than we will be willing to wait. We need a top class striker in January more than we need a winger. We also need a strong imposing midfielder.
    Saliba was ordinary today but Gabriel had a very good game.
    Best player for me today is Xhaka.

    1. Need a press-resistant, clever midfielder. Very hard to find. But would help so much in these games where we aren’t neat and as tidy as we should be. Odegaard I thought could’ve done more today to help us sure up posession. Bit of an erratic display from him. 2nd half Partey was…. Not very good at all

  69. Odegarrd always going missing in every game we’ve played this season and he will be on the pitch at least 80 before being sub, we keep waiting for his killer pass till end of the season, wired. The boy need to move at the end of season seriously. I have seen the reason Madrid let go of him. Very weak.

  70. Despite that Arsenal managed to hold on to a draw in the match at full-time and came away with only a poibt in it, instead of them to have collected all the points that were on offer in the march for collection.
    But has today’s failure by Arsenal to beat Southampton underlines them as not actually a trusted Epl top team title win contenders this season? But a title win pretenders all along who in the actual sense of things in the Epl won’t be able to hold out to seriously challenge for the title win this season.
    But why has Arteta and the Gunners he has assembled start raising our hopes to win the title this season? But only for them to start dashing them with this kind of a disappointing draw game result that Arsenal played out against the Saints today.

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